Thailand Biennale lands in the northern borderlands

CHIANG RAI, Thailand — For more than 20 years, Thai painter and curator Angkrit Ajchariyasophon has dreamed of seeing his home turf, the ancient northern city of Chiang Rai, realize its full artistic potential.

There have been setbacks, as is typical for self-sustaining local art scenes: Angkrit Gallery, a commercial art space he ran in downtown Chiang Rai for over a decade, shuttered in 2016, for example. But Angkrit’s dream is finally materializing. “We have a new museum. We established a city of art. And now we have a biennale coming,” he said.